United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has sent a note to passengers warning of schedule reductions but promising neither longhaul international flying nor hub-to-hub flights will be adversely impacted.
United Airlines CEO Explains Upcoming Schedule Reductions, Assures Flyers Key Routes Will Not Be Impacted
I received the following message in my inbox late last night from Kirby:
Dear Matthew,
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) recently directed every airline to reduce their schedules across 40 U.S. airports during the government shutdown.
The FAA’s goal is to relieve pressure on the aviation system so that every airline can continue to operate safely. That is the FAA’s highest priority, and ours as well. No matter what environment we’re operating in, United Airlines will not compromise on safety.
Our flight reductions will start on Friday, November 7, and we’ll make rolling updates to our schedule as the government shutdown continues. United’s long-haul international flying will not be affected, nor will service between our hub airports: Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark Liberty International, San Francisco and Washington Dulles.
If your flight is canceled, we’ll work to give you as much notice as possible, so you don’t show up at the airport expecting to fly. But the best way to stay up to date is through our award-winning United app, which gives you real-time updates, rebooking options and more.
Importantly, if you’re traveling during this period and do not wish to fly, you’re eligible for a refund — even if your flight isn’t impacted. That includes non-refundable tickets and basic economy tickets.
Even with these schedule reductions, we expect to offer about 4,000 flights per day. And because of the early November timing, our flights have more available seats than before the summer, giving us (and you) more rebooking options.
Thank you in advance for your patience. We’ve got the best team in the industry looking after your trip and we’ll continue to be open, direct and transparent with you throughout your journey.
Sincerely,
Scott Kirby
CEO
United Airlines
My Thoughts
I appreciate that Kirby promises if you’re traveling during this period and do not wish to fly, you’re eligible for a refund — even if your flight isn’t impacted or you have purchased a basic economy ticket. That’s good business, though I do not see that reflected yet in the form of a travel waiver.
I’m predicting that air travel is going to become pretty bad in the days ahead. I hope it will lead to the end of the shutdown, but I don’t see either side willing to budge (yet) and that means this could get extremely painful leading up to Thanksgiving.
Thus, United is preparing customers for what is to come and ensuring that longhaul and key hub-to-hub routes will not be impacted is key.
But even that is optimistic at this point. Security lines are starting to snarl (lines snarled outside and stretched for hours at Bush Intercontinental, United’s Houston hub, earlier this week). If security lines get really bad, the flight may still be technically able to depart on time, but will me missing passengers.
CONCLUSION
United CEO Kirby is warning of pain ahead…I consider that a given at this point. at least United promises to add additional flexibility to restricted tickets, and I expect other carriers will do the same.
Writing this from abroad, it makes me want to stay away longer…
Great move by the Big 3 compared to the clowns running Frontier. Telling customers to book an expensive last minute ticket on another airline “Just in case” shows again why no one should deal with Frontier.
But most of us here already know that.
I haven’t read or heard anybody go into specifics, but would it make more sense to focus on canceling RJs rather than mainline, based solely on the numbers of pax? A CRJ700 with 70 pax is taking up the same TO/landing slot as a 737-900 with 170+ pax. Obviously nobody wants this at all, but if they’re going to do it, they should try to minimize the effects on as many people as possible.
Donald Trump said it best: “If there is a shutdown I think it would be a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States. He’s the one that has to get people together.”
Turns out Kirby’s sucking-up to the administration did nothing for him or anyone. Instead of appeasing Dear Leader, he should have actually stood up for his team, his shareholders, his customers, his workers, and the American people, by demanding Republicans actually negotiate in good-faith with Democrats to pass a bi-partisan budget (including healthcare for Americans) and reopen the government as soon as possible.
This is a sound political move. It won’t impact any of the administration’s donors, and CBP is flush with cash, so US arrivals are fine. The plebs traveling domestically will be disrupted, but Fox News can blame that on the Dems, so the administration can attempt to make it a political win. Realistically, if you can’t afford to fly private, you don’t really matter anyway. I’m just glad that SNAP is going to be force-funded and retailers won’t lose too much revenue. If airlines lose a ton of money we can just bail them out again.
Fox would be correct to blame the democrats, this is their shutdown.